Blue Origin's 4th Reusable Rocket Launch and Landing in Photos

By Tariq Malik, Space.com Managing Editor |
June 19, 2016 01:20pm ET

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Blue Origin Flight 4

Credit: Blue Origin

On June 19, 2016, Blue Origin launched its reusable New Shepard rocket and space capsule for the fourth time from the company's West Texas proving grounds - this time webcasting the launch live online while also testing a two-parachute capsule landing. See photos from the launch here by clicking the arrows at the right of each image. Read our full story on Blue Origin's 4th successful launch.

A Grand Old Flag

Ascent

Credit: Blue Origin

New Shepard continues its ascent during the launch phase of its fourth test flight. At its peak, New Shepard would reach an apogee of 331,501 feet, or about 62.7 miles (101 kilometers), higher than the recognized 62-mile border between Earth and space. Read our full story on Blue Origin's 4th successful launch.

Capsule Separation

Credit: Blue Origin

This image shows a clear view of the New Shepard booster rocket (left) and its space capsule flying separately after separation. Inside the capsule were three university research payloads that used the several minutes of weightlessness provided by the flight to take science data. Read our full story on Blue Origin's 4th successful launch.

Tariq joined Purch's Space.com team in 2001 as a staff writer, and later editor, covering human spaceflight, exploration and space science. He became Space.com's Managing Editor in 2009. Before joining Space.com, Tariq was a staff reporter for The Los Angeles Times. He is also an Eagle Scout (yes, he has the Space Exploration merit badge) and went to Space Camp four times as a kid and a fifth time as an adult. He has journalism degrees from the University of Southern California and New York University. To see his latest project, you can follow Tariq on Google+, Twitter and on Facebook.

Tariq Malik, Space.com Managing Editor
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Blue Origin Flight 4

Credit: Blue Origin

On June 19, 2016, Blue Origin launched its reusable New Shepard rocket and space capsule for the fourth time from the company's West Texas proving grounds - this time webcasting the launch live online while also testing a two-parachute capsule landing. See photos from the launch here by clicking the arrows at the right of each image. Read our full story on Blue Origin's 4th successful launch.

A Grand Old Flag

Ascent

Credit: Blue Origin

New Shepard continues its ascent during the launch phase of its fourth test flight. At its peak, New Shepard would reach an apogee of 331,501 feet, or about 62.7 miles (101 kilometers), higher than the recognized 62-mile border between Earth and space. Read our full story on Blue Origin's 4th successful launch.

Capsule Separation

Credit: Blue Origin

This image shows a clear view of the New Shepard booster rocket (left) and its space capsule flying separately after separation. Inside the capsule were three university research payloads that used the several minutes of weightlessness provided by the flight to take science data. Read our full story on Blue Origin's 4th successful launch.